Twice. I have watched ‘The Martian’ twice. By choice.
I do not know why but that movie is oddly comforting. Something about being stuck in a place alone struck me as being extremely exciting. Mars sounds possible, does it not? It is after all the planet next to Earth, and almost fertile enough to sustain life-forms. But not there yet. (Yet?) In this very movie, Mark Watney, an astronaut, possessed sufficient knowledge to harvest potatoes on Mars (spoiler: he is also a literal biologist). He also maintained a good amount of humour and enthusiasm to live, throughout the course of his long departure from Earth. I think that these are the qualities that I like most about Mark, our Martian.
You see, days like these will come – lonely and heavy. I just know every single one of us has felt lost in some way or another, and there is a lot of fear that comes in admitting that you are going or have gone astray. Oh, and it feels even worse when others look like they are doing better than you, and the world is moving like usual, while here I am, stuck in a spot I do not even know and like.
Mark felt that way. He was literally the only being on one single planet. He had to move about though because he knew that there was nothing else stopping him other than himself. If you watched the movie, you would have seen that he had to stitch his own bloody wounds, how his crops of potatoes were destroyed to nothingness over an accident, and how he survived the whole ordeal to the point of skinny starvation because of outrageously desperate rationing. Despite other crazier life-threatening events, Mark Watney managed to survive (duh, of course).
So, other than the basic plot where the hero battles his wars and wins, I keep thinking back to why I like this movie so much. Now, I have an answer: I think the idea that being alone (and lonely) can really bring out the strength in you. The very notion that you are literally at the hands of your own mercy (other than our Lord) just lit a fire up my bottom. The journey is weighty, but also worthy. Now, when I am lost, alone and lonely, I tell myself that this is my chance to find out where my limit and power lies. At these points in life, it would have to just finally be about me. So, I can take my time to figure out how to move through the events of my life, just like Mark, our Martian.
Comments